In the Abyss
by wakeuprunning
Summary: What do you do when there is no where left to turn? You make your own way in the world. This is the story of an independent Harry who left England to search for answers and prepare for a war he knew would come. Forget canon and just follow the story.
1. Chapter 1

A thunderstorm the likes of which hadn't been seen in a century wrought havoc on the world. Lightning tore apart the sky and thunder shook the very foundations of the great buildings of Rome that had stood for nigh a millennium - and in the center of it all a monster laughed. Voldemort had found the key to Dumbledore's destruction. The wards of his precious school would be proven useless against him. His domination of the wizarding world was all but assured. After a month long exile searching the catacombs of the ancient city he had finally found the last piece of the puzzle left behind by Salazar. He would return to England and with Dumbledore's death he would be the most powerful wizard ever to walk the earth.

Half a world away a pair of eyelids snapped open revealing a set of brilliant emerald eyes. A battered boy struggled to pull himself to his feet using the chair he had been sitting on before he had found himself pulled into oblivion. He staggered to the tiny bathroom attached to his room using the wall for support as he went, and glared at his reflection in the mirror. What he saw was less than encouraging. The lightning bolt scar that had been forced on him in his infancy had torn open and a trail of blood ran from it down his face. He studied his visage with a grim interest. It had been years since he had felt the effects of his connection with the monster. True from time to time he still felt a twinge whenever Voldemort performed unusually high amounts of magic or experienced strong emotions, but it had been almost 4 years since his scar had opened and burned to this extent. Not to mention the headache he could already feel building. He silently berated himself for allowing his mental defenses to collapse, even though he knew there was little that could have been done to prevent it. He had almost died, using every ounce of power and bit of skill he possessed had left him barely alive and clinging to the side of a chasm. If it hadn't been for Faydon he would most likely be dead. He would just have to hope that he had remained unnoticed by the creature on the other end of his cursed link. One thing was for certain, it was going to be a very long day. But even given the situation he couldn't help but smile to himself. His cracked lips parted slightly and a whisper barely louder than a sigh escaped; "England here I come." The time for hiding had come to an end. First though he needed to rest. He stumbled back to the bedroom and pulled a vial of a deep purple concoction from the weathered satchel in the corner and without a further thought drained the contents. Within moments he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Eighteen hours later Harry awoke once again, but this time to bright rays of sunshine filtering through the lone window, and a clear pain free head. It had been a long time since he had truly been able to sleep and he had needed it, but now he would have to move twice as quick. Hogwarts was almost on the other side of the world and he had to make it in time to prevent Voldemort from razing it to the ground. True having Dumbledore removed from the equation would simplify things, but for the moment the manipulative bastard was necessary, and besides he was bound by blood and oath to protect the school if possible. If he played his cards right this could be the opportunity to exact his revenge he had been waiting for for so long. He allowed himself another small smile. If nothing else, it would be interesting to see the old fool's reaction to his return. That would come later though. Now he needed to go. Luckily years on the move meant he was used to hasty changes of scenery. By habit his gear was packed and ready to go. He debated with himself about his weapons and armor, but he was still exhausted and he had several international wards to move through undetected. If something went wrong and he was detained it would be that much harder to explain the situation if he were wearing his normal kit. No he would have to stick with just his wands. Everything else he would leave behind and hide to return for later, assuming there would be a later of course. If what he had sensed from Voldemort last night was correct he had about 8 hours to reach the gates of his old school. Given the distance and obstacles in his path that was going to require a lot of power and he was still going to need to fight when he reached his destination. "Yeah, this is going to hurt." he laughed to himself, and then with a sharp crack he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Albus Dumbledore was having an excellent day. Everything seemed to be coming together. The fool Fudge had finally accepted Voldemort's return after an attack on the Bones family little more than a month ago and had sent a detachment of aurors to Hogwarts placing them under the control of the headmaster. Voldemort himself had been suspiciously quiet for more than a month and his spies reported that he had been recovering from an injury he had acquired. They were unable to reveal the details, but as far as he was concerned anything that brought Tom down a peg was fine by him. Add to that the fact that his muggle contact had sent him another crate of lemon drops and he was on top of the world. The only dark spot on his otherwise brilliant day was the duty of supervising the Halloween ball for the students, but Voldemort had returned and for the time being he couldn't have everything he wanted.

So it was that Albus found himself sitting at the head of the great table watching the drama that was a Hogwarts ball unfold in front of him. The students began to arrive in pairs, young ladies escorted by their over eager dates. The Slytherins by some unspoken agreement formed their own group in a far corner of the great hall as they pooled in. Dumbledore paused at that. True that particular house was usually more distant from the other three, but such blatant separation was a little more drastic than usual. It must be another sign of the coming war. House prejudice was building again. He would have to find a way to use that to his advantage.

Daphne Greengrass walked quickly through the dungeon corridors on her way to the great hall. The ball was due to begin and though she would rather have spent her time in more worthwhile pursuits, it had become apparent that something was going to happen. Malfoy and the rest of the death eater spawn had spent the entire day sequestered in a secluded corner of the Slytherin common room whispering to each other. The atmosphere had been tense. So it was that she found herself on the way to the Halloween feast. If living in the house of snakes had taught her anything over the last seven years it was that to survive you needed to stay on top of events. Survival could largely be attributed to political savvy. Especially in a common room that contained the largest faction of Voldemort sympathizers and supporters in the school.

Finally she reached her destination and as she pushed aside the massive oak doors that separated the hall from the entrance she was greeted by the sight of teeming masses of students weaving their way through elaborate decorations. Millions of bats hung from the chandeliers and flew across the starry sky depicted on the ceiling. Scarecrows were proudly mounted atop mounds of carved pumpkins which wore unique and in some cases disconcerting expression carved into their flesh. The floor, which was usually kept immaculate by the army of house elves in the castle, was now covered in a layer of dead leaves that crunched as they were tread upon. All around her fellow students met in groups or danced to the music being played by the band featured on a stage at the front of the hall. Luckily, in her opinion, formal wear had been optional and as she looked around she was silently pleased to note she was far from the only one who had opted to come in her regular school uniform. She wouldn't stand out in the least. The only thing that remained to do was wait and watch. Time would unravel the mystery behind the behavior she had noted all day. In the meantime she decided that no harm could come from enjoying the festivities. The band was surprisingly good and if nothing else she could enjoy the music while she passed the time.

Several miles away on the outskirts of Hogsmeade a gigantic electric blue orb appeared accompanied by a thunderous crackling sound and immediately began to dissipate. As it vanished a figure was revealed from its depths kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily, and clutching the grass with his fists. Harry James Potter had arrived and as predicted the journey had hurt like hell. He had more than enough power to punch through the international wards, but the human body still endured a beating in the process. The fact that he had been required to do this several times on his journey left him in agony. Self pity however was a luxury he didn't have time for at the moment. With an ease born of practice, which spoke volumes in its own right, he pushed the pain aside and climbed to his feet. He could sense Riddle nearby which meant that he was cutting it close. If he wanted to make it in time he would need to move rapidly. He still needed to break into Honeydukes and gain access to the tunnel that would bring him into the castle undetected. It wouldn't do to alert the old goat to his presence. Achieving his revenge hinged upon surprise. If he could enter the fight at the right moment it just might be possible to remove his greatest enemies. That or everything could go horribly wrong and he would be forced to fight for his very survival. He found that thought morbidly amusing.


	3. Chapter 3

In the great hall the band had just finished a series of fast paced hits and was getting ready to take a 10 minute break. The students were beginning to pull their dates from the dance floor in search of refreshments when the world exploded around them. The gigantic oak doors that guarded the hall were blown from their hinges as an ear splitting explosion filled the room. The doors themselves were flung straight towards the crowd of students that was gathered there. Moments before they could smash into the cowering mass they were halted in mid air. Dumbledore showing a speed and dexterity that belied his age had risen to his feat at the first signs of disturbance and had stopped the massive projectiles with a flick of his wrist and a thought. All eyes turned to the archway leading to the entrance hall where a large group of cloaked and masked figures were making their way into the room. And after a moment's hesitation, the screaming began. The frightened students backed their way further into the hall away from the death eaters. All except for the large group of slytherins who had separated from the rest and now made their way to join the intruders.

"Your manners of late leave much to be desired Tom." Dumbledore commented causally, but with a noticeable edge to his voice.

His statement was met with gasps from the assembled crowd who saw only death eaters gathered before them. All hope left the hall as the students realized death himself had come to call.

"Dumbledore," came the answering hiss as the mass of cloaked figures parted revealing a creature that appeared to be more snake than man. "This day is late in coming. You have proven your ignorance far too often and I'm afraid I can no longer allow you to meddle in the affairs of my world." He paused to let his words sink in before continuing. "Enjoy the next few moments old man. They will be your last."

"I think not my dear boy. The aurorers are here Tom. Surrender now and no harm need befall you or your friends."

A look of pure rage disfigured the demons already mutilated face and his next outburst rattled the windows in there frames. "Fool! Do you imagine for a second that you can stand against my might? You will all die here today, and with your death there will be nothing left in my way."

"That I cannot allow," Dumbledore replied sternly.

"You have no choice, your fate is sealed. There is no escape from death this time Albus. I hope you're prepared for the next great adventure."

As he finished speaking the hall was filled with a flurry of activity. The death eaters who had apparently been waiting for their master's signal rushed forward and began attacking everything in their path. At the same instant the teaching staff and aurorers who had been spread throughout the hall monitoring the night's festivities pushed their way between the students and the fierce onslaught and the fighting began in earnest. It immediately became apparent that the defenders were at a disadvantage. Voldemort had brought fifty of his best fighters and the entire teaching staff and arourer detachment totaled thirty three wands, all of varying degrees of proficiency. Several seventh year students joined the fight, but it did little good. Curses flew everywhere and through the storm of death and destruction they were slowly pushed back.

Meanwhile Voldemort and Dumbledore held the center of the room. The battle seemed to split and encircle them while they traded magic so complex and at such a speed that few could even follow the fight. The two men who were considerably older than the majority of the hall moved with a swiftness and surety few could match as they danced around each other avoiding curses and pressing their attacks. It was an elegant dance of death fought for control of the wizarding world.

To the side, between disaster and the student body, Daphne was slowly losing a battle of wills and magic to the infamous Bellatix Lestrange. She had intervened in time to prevent the crazy bitch from dismembering a group of first year girls, but now she found herself fighting a losing battle. Her knowledge of battle magic, which was considerable compared to most, wasn't enough to overwhelm her opponent. Every time she managed to evade long enough to attempt to go on the offensive she found herself blocking a curse from an unknown death eater to her side. She knew it was only a matter of time before she lost. Escape wasn't an option and her core was weakening from the strain of prolonged use of complex spells. Still she was nothing if not determined. She might not be able to win the fight and walk away, but if she was lucky she might be able to take the evil bint with her.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a sight of utter chaos that greeted Harry as he burst through a secret passage way and rounded the corner leading to the great hall. The first thing he noticed was that the hall's doors had been blown from their hinges. Next was the charge he could feel in the air caused by the sheer volume of magic being used. Curses rained from the sky as cloaked figures battled their way through the castle's occupants with relative ease, and in the center of it all was his goal, Voldemort and Dumbledore. He moved forward quickly and quietly so as not to draw unwanted attention to himself. All of the eyes in the great hall seemed to be focused on something and those that weren't were riveted to the legendary duel being fought in their midst. This suited our young hero just fine as he was able to slowly sneak his way towards the fight dodging stray curses and stepping over the bodies of the dead and wounded on his way. He had almost reached his target when a stray piercing curse passed directly in front of his nose. He turned in time to see a Hogwarts student in green and silver battling two death eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange and another masked figure were slowly forcing the girl into crossfire, though she was responding remarkably well forcing the two to dodge and shield a flurry of attacks that no student should know, much less have the skill to perform. He had turned and was about to move forward again, after all he was here for his own reasons not interfere in every fight, when he caught sight of the girls eyes and he abruptly changed his plans. His wand flew into his hand and in less than a second he had turned and was filling the air with curses that hadn't been seen in nearly six hundred years. Ancient blasting, fire, piercing, and dismembering spells rained down on the pair of death eaters. The unknown man fell immediately to a skull shattering spell, but Bellatrix turned just fast enough to dodge and defend against the onslaught. She wasn't Voldemort's right hand without reason. She was deadly and second only to her master in skill in battle. The ferocity she was confronted with though had her completely on the defensive moving away from her victim towards the corner of the room. Harry followed closely keeping up a steady stream of attacks. He launched a quartet of decapitation hexes and as she twisted to avoid them he was rewarded with a momentary lapse in her defenses that a less skilled opponent would never have noticed. He wasted no time on taking advantage of the situation and moments later the most feared witch in England found herself pinned to the castle wall suspended above the floor by a metal stake through each shoulder. Before she could register what was happening he followed it with a weak bludgeoning spell that slammed her head into the stone and forcing her into unconsciousness.

The threat controlled he returned his attention to the battle flowing around him just in time to see the defense buckle and a wall of curses begin to descend on the stranded students. Thinking quickly he brought his wand around while weaving an intricate spell pattern that pulled the great tables from where they had been moved to the side of the hall and forced them to form a floating wall in front of the innocent bystanders. As the curses impacted and tore through the barrier the shards of wood reformed and continued to protect the children. It wouldn't last long but if someone had enough sense it might hold long enough to move the students out of the hall. Luckily someone was doing just that. He noted a beautiful young woman who couldn't have been much older than himself, Professor Vector if memory served, had already begun moving them to the far side of the hall where the staff entrance was located. The remaining seventh years provided additional protection for the group by shielding the few curses that made it through the table blockade. Fortunately the makeshift barrier covered the entire route to the door. As she reached the end Vector turned and before following the last student through she raised her wand with the back of her hand facing out in a sign of respect and nodded to him. He returned the salute with a bemused expression. Maybe he still had allies in England.

That line of thinking was cut dramatically short as he came face to face with his former transfiguration professor. "Mr. Potter?!" a surprised looking Minerva asked, "Is it really you, after all these years?"

"Come now Professor surely I haven't changed that much," was his crisp response.

"The headmaster warned us years ago that we hadn't seen the last of you. He was convinced that you had survived," she stated as her demeanor turned noticeably colder.

"Well, the old goat always did know more than was good for him."

"He also told us that you had started down a dark path, despite his best efforts and those of Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger," she interrupted. "The similarities between you and Tom were always so staggering I suppose it wasn't much of a stretch for you to follow in his footsteps," She stated with absolute conviction. Though her wand remained steady her face betrayed a deep sadness as she continued, "And now you have returned as he did. I'm glad James isn't here to see what you've become."

Green eyes flared with an inner fire as they narrowed in aggravation. True he had expected to receive such a reception, but it was maddening how ignorant the wizarding world continued to be. "And so Minerva you continue to wander blindly ignoring the truth that sits so plainly in front of you."

"Its clear you have come back consumed by darkness just as Albus predicted. How else could you have become so powerful? You never displayed any particular aptitude and you were always a below average student. Yet you just killed without remorse and dealt with Bellatrix as though she was a first year."

"I see you refuse to be swayed. You stand firmly behind Dumbledore as always. Please stand aside madam I have business to attend to." And with that statement he made to move around her, but she side stepped to remain in his path.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that Mr. Potter," Minerva said coldly as she raised her wand. "Our world has enough monsters. If we have learned anything it is that to let evil go unchecked is unacceptable. We allowed Voldemort to thrive to long in the dark and it has lead to war, we will not make the same mistake again. The aurors have been searching for you for years. By ministry decree you are to be killed or captured on sight."

That part caught Harry slightly off guard. Used of deadly force was highly regulated in the wizarding world. The ministry didn't even authorize that kind of action against death eaters. The only other wizard who had received such a sentence was Riddle himself. They would cut off their nose to save their face, what was Dumbledore playing at? This would require further thought, but now was not the time. At least Minerva wouldn't be much of a challenge. She was a powerful witch, but he was an instrument of war that thrived in combat. Alone she wouldn't last long.


	5. Chapter 5

The thought had barely been completed when two wizards forced their way through the crowd to join McGonagall.

"Ah fuck," he sighed. He now found himself staring down the wands of not only the transfiguration professor but those of two of the best duelers in England as well. Moody and Flitwick glared at him.

"Potter, surrender your wand in the name of the ministry," Moody growled his wand tip already aglow with a building curse. "This is your only warning."

Clearly the time for conversation was over. That suited Harry just fine he had already wasted far too much time in his discourse with Minerva. But he had been gone for a long time and the information he had gleaned might prove useful later. Seemingly sensing his refusal to comply the three magicians began to move simultaneously. The professors each stepped slightly to the side providing cover while Moody began to advance slowly towards him. 'Fools never underestimate your opponent,' he thought to himself. Minerva had received a small glimpse of his skill in his fight with Lestrange. She had as much as told him that, and yet they were moving to attack him as though they were arresting a drunk that had become unwieldy. Well if they survived they wouldn't be making that mistake in the future. Moody's first spell was just leaving his wand when Harry sprang into action. He fired a modified blasting-concussion spell into the flagstones at his enemy's feet with his wand while using wandless magic and his other hand to rip 15 of the 60 chandeliers from the ceiling. While all three were for the most part able to successfully shield or dodge the spray of rock fragments and dust, none of them were prepared for what happened next. As the chandeliers were torn from their anchors the force of his magic ripped them into shreds producing a large mass of jagged metal spikes and chain. Moving with a speed to fast to see with the human eye he split the projectiles into a deadly ring and brought them to bear on his opponents from all sides. Within four seconds of starting the fight Minerva had been knocked unconscious by a large portion of chain and Moody and Flitwick were pinned to the floor. Both men resembled porcupines with several pieces of metal piercing their bodies and rising like a mock bamboo forest from the floor around them. Still magic was an amazing thing. If they received help soon enough they just might survive. Without a second thought he stepped over Moody and once again began moving towards his goal.

Daphne was once again in the thick of the battle. After being rescued by the black haired stranger she moved to help protect the students as they made their way to safety using the floating house tables for cover. Whoever the newcomer was it was obvious that he had power in spades, not many wizards could manipulate so many large objects at once. Thankfully he was on their side. After professor Vector disappeared with the last student Daphne turned back in time to see professor McGonagall in what appeared to be a heated debate with her savior. The tension was apparent; the professor wore the same look she had every time she spoke to the Weasley twins and the young man had his wand poised as though he would attack at any moment while the very air around him seemed to shimmer with power. 'Yup definitely don't want to piss him off,' she thought. Then things got confusing. She cold almost swear that she heard the name Potter, but that couldn't be right. According to the wizarding world he had been killed saving Cedric Diggory from Voldemort when he first returned. And yet the more she thought about it the more she accepted it. The man before her hand unruly jet black hair and now that she had a chance to think she realized the eyes had been the same too. Never had she met anyone but Potter with eyes of that intense electric green. She hadn't seen his famous scar, but his hair was long enough that it could have simply been hidden beneath his fringe. If it was him he had certainly grown from the scrawny kid she remembered. Further consideration would have to wait though as her pondering was interrupted by the arrival of her charms professor and Moody and the short and brutal display of power that followed. 'Yup definitely don't want to piss him off,' she confirmed to herself. Still something strange was happening. As far as she had witnessed, Potter had only been fighting the death eaters, and he and definitely been the only one to provide any assistance in getting the students to safety. Yet she clearly saw him attacked by a ministry auror and two members of the Hogwart's staff. She didn't understand the reasons but one thing was certain: Potter had saved her ass and apparently everyone in the hall was trying to kill him. In fact as she watched she saw him make quick work of another pair of Voldemort's minions only to be faced by three aurors. Well she wasn't going to allow that. Whatever was going on she would help him if she could. After all, she did owe him her life.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry found himself about to be pulled into still another pointless duel, this time with a group of aurorers, when an electric purple curse flecked with gold that some part of his mind recognized as an organ shredding hex impacted one of the ministry buffoons from the side. As he went down a pair of death eaters attacked from the other side quickly dispatching the remaining two. Before they could become a distraction though, the girl with the stunning eyes like chips of ice that he had saved from Lestrange had stepped in front of him and was systematically decimating the snake worshiping bastards. Obviously it had been her that had dispatched the first aurorer.

He would be lying if he said he understood why she was helping him, but she had just removed several obstacles and given him a clear path to his objective and he wasn't going to waste it. Without wasting a moment he broke into a sprint to cover the remaining distance. Just as he was reaching the fight, a stray curse from the side forced him to jump. As he flipped through the air his arch landed him directly between two of the most powerful wizards in the world who were at the moment, hell bent on killing each other. Their duel however came to an abrupt halt with his arrival.

"Potter…" "Harry..," both men addressed him in surprise, but neither got any farther than that. It might suit them to posture and trade witty banter fueling their own sense of importance, but he was not interested in such things. The time for talking had ended years ago. Nothing said would change the past. Now was the time for action and he would have his revenge. With a sweep of his arm his second wand flew from his opposite wrist into his hand and he began firing curses in both directions at his two greatest foes while stepping backwards out of the center. It wouldn't do to be wedged between them. No one would survive long in that position. His only hope of victory relied on a three way battle where they had to fight each other as much as him.

The fight began again, even more fierce than before. The magic being used by the three of them began to manifest itself in the form of auras. The edge of Dumbledore's wand and arm was tinged in red, while Voldemort's wand and entire body was outlined in an inky black. Harry's, however, was by far the most interesting. A sea of electric green to match his eyes seemed to emanate from his wands and continue up his arms to the shoulder. Deadly curses were traded with a speed and accuracy that was almost impossible to comprehend, while shields and barriers appeared just as quickly to block them. The area around them was quickly destroyed as deflected magic and shattered object ripped through anything in their way.

After what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been more than a few minutes the course of the fight took an abrupt change. Voldemort shot a jet of flame at Dumbledore who had to abandon his attack on Harry to defend himself. He quickly froze the flame and banished the shards of ice back at Riddle who summoned a physical shield to protect himself. Seeing an opportunity, Harry used a boiling charm to super-heat the ice into steam and instead of impacting against the shield harmlessly it flowed around it and scalded the snake faced jack ass. His success was met with a howl of pain that sounded like nails being drug across a chalk board. The only thought that registered in Harry's head at that moment was, 'I didn't know snakes could scream.' Meanwhile Dumbledore had also gone on the offensive against the heir of Slytherin who was unprepared for the gale of curses that assailed him. He managed to block a Peruvian spine shattering curse from Dumbledore and a nerve exploding spell from Harry, but he found himself on the receiving end of a slashing curse and bone shattering curse that drove him to the ground in a bloody heap.

Harry's heart began pounding faster as he advanced keeping a wary eye on Dumbledore. His revenge on the son of a bitch who killed his parent was within his grasp. He brought both wand tips to bear on his targets, each glowing with a curse that spoke of death and destruction when there was a pop and Voldemort and all of his loyal subjects alive, dead, and otherwise disappeared. Harry's heart was suddenly filled with a soul shattering anger and despair that he was saved time from dwelling on by the presence of Dumbledore who once again focused his attention on his remaining opponent now that Voldemort was gone.

Sensing that his revenge could no longer be won at the present time Harry began to search for an escape of his own. He was beginning to feel fatigued and he was in no condition to battle Dumbledore and what was left of the teaching staff and auorers all at the same time. Fortunately, Lady luck finally threw a bone his way though and he was handed a chance for survival as Dumbledore once again paused to address him altering his posture too much for an effective defense in the process. Before the old man could speak so much as a word he had been hurled through the air by a banishing curse that sent him smashing through the door at the staff entrance and into the hallway. An accompanying series of bone shattering curses assuring that he would no longer be a threat. Meanwhile Harry was already channeling power into his other wand, and before the assembled group could react he swung both wands upward where they met above his head and then brought both of them down in a hammering motion releasing a wave of power that spread in circle around him outward. Everything in its path was thrown backwards violently as a cloud of dust filled the air. When the debris began to settle not a single person was left conscious let alone standing.


	7. Chapter 7

As always the clock was now against him. Backup aurorers from the ministry would be dispatched soon and he still had work to do before he could leave. It was his duty to ensure the school was protected, from Voldemort at least. Dumbledore's position as headmaster meant there was little that could be done on that front, but he wouldn't do anything to damage the grandfatherly façade that was the base of his power.

Exhausted, and in somewhat worse shape than he had been when he began the journey, Harry once more began to move. He hoped over a scorched hole that had been blown in the floor and headed for the conference room behind where the staff table normally stood. The very same room he had entered after his name had been pulled from the goblet of fire. As he neared the far wall he glimpsed a green and silver lump wedged between two halves of a broken table. Acting purely on instinct he diverted his path to inspect the situation. What he caused him a split seconds indecision. Laying at his feet was the girl who had become such an integral part of his night and she was in a bad way. Her white school shirt was stained a deep crimson and her right leg was fractured with a piece of the bone protruding through the skin gleaming a ghostly grey color in the candle light from the remaining chandeliers. From the amount of blood it was obvious that she wouldn't make it much longer without assistance. Harry was torn. This girl had willingly rejoined the battle to fight against his enemies who included both the ministry and her teachers. For all intents and purposes she would be targeted by them now as well. The instinct to assist her was almost unbearable, he felt drawn to her so strongly that he found it difficult to think clearly. It took every bit of his considerable abilities in occulemency to push the feeling aside enough to think objectively. If he were to take responsibility for her now it would mean pulling her farther into his world and that was a fate he wouldn't wish on anybody. He considered the other option. He could leave her, and given enough time either the aurorer healers or Poppy would be able to patch her up. It all came back to time. It always did. He never seemed to have enough and she certainly didn't. If he didn't help her now she would die. 'Decision made,' his mind whispered as he knelt to her side. He quickly reassessed her injuries.

The blood loss would have to be his primary concern; she was literally lying in a small lake of her own blood. He had a considerable supply of blood replenishing potion on him, being in need of it quite frequently himself, but he didn't have time to coax it down her throat so she was going to need to be awake to swallow it. This was going to be agonizing for her. He pulled a miniature tin from his pocket and after enlarging it wandlessly he opened it revealing ten vials filled with a black liquid. His hand glowed a dull blue as he passed it over her head and her eyes snapped open. Her face immediately contracted in mask of pain and her hand unconsciously grabbed his forearm and gripped it like a vice.

"You've lost a lot of blood," Harry said in an even voice. Her eyes which had been unfocused snapped in his direction and locked with his as she clenched her jaw even harder. "I need you to swallow these," he said picking up the first vial and moving it to her lips without further explanation. She coughed up the first mouthful and her grip tightened on his arm, but she was able to relax her throat enough to swallow the rest. Without pausing he continued feeding her potions until all of the vials were empty. Her face which had been a pale white was already regaining a little color. 'Good,' he thought surprised by the wave of relief that washed over him. The slight red tinge to her cheeks was an important sign. It meant that the potion was already working and he wouldn't need to worry about her bleeding to death if he could get her other injuries under control quickly enough.

His first task complete he moved his hand to her abdomen where her shirt was stained almost black by her blood. Here he paused and looked at her face once again only to find that her eyes were still locked on him. "I need to move your shirt so I can find where the blood is coming from," he told her. Her eyes widened a little, but she quickly moved her head in a small jerk that he took to be a nod of assent. With the arm that wasn't caught in her death grip he began to gently slide her blouse up her abdomen to her chest. She let out a startled hiss of pain as he continued. The blood had begun to dry and clot around the wound cementing the shirt to her skin and as he pushed it aside it tore the forming scab and fresh blood began flowing from the gash below her ribs. What he saw surprised him a bit. The wound was jagged and deep, but that in itself wasn't so unusual. The orange tint to the healthy skin around the opening was what caught his attention. Experience had been an effective if harsh teacher. He recognized the signs of an Incan cutting curse. There were a wide variety of them, all designed to create different types of cuts and slashes, but they all caused similar effects after the initial damage. The orange skin was cursed and couldn't be healed directly by magic. What surprised him was the obscurity of the magic. Few people even knew of that family of curses and fewer still knew how to perform them. True he was skilled enough and given the proper time and materials he could heal it, but in the given situation the only thing he could do would be to bandage it for now to slow the bleeding. Acting quickly he pulled his wand, and with her eyes still following his every movement, he used a weak severing charm to remove several inches from the hem of her skirt up. Her skirt which had reached her knees now only fell to mid thigh, but Harry had enough material to deal with her wounds. He used a couple intensive cleaning charms to sterilize the fabric and then began tearing it into strips. The first few he used for padding to cover the wound and the rest he used to bind it tightly. As he pressed the fabric over the wound and secured it in place with the makeshift bandages her body tensed and a pained moan made its way past her clenched teeth. Cursing his stupidity he focused and forced his magic into the palm of his hand. As he gently traced her side with his hand a numbing sensation washed through it and she relaxed slightly. Her body was still rigid from the pain caused by her leg, but she was no longer in agony. He could have numbed the wound first but it honestly hadn't occurred to him. He was used to patching himself up and there was rarely time to allow himself the benefit of such things.

Now that the worst of her injuries had been dealt with he inspected her fractured leg carefully. Thankfully he would be able to heal this one completely with magic. Unfortunately he would not be able to numb the pain. With breaks in the bone it was possible to use a combination of potions and magic to heal them painlessly, but he didn't carry such frivolous concoctions with him so his patient was just going to have to deal with the consequences. At least it would only last a moment.

"This is going to be extremely painful," Harry said turning to look at her face once again. The statement was met by a look of apprehension that was replaced by determination so quickly he wasn't sure he had seen it at all. Her features which had been distorted in anguish had relaxed considerably, though her eyes continued to scan his. "You seem to have already claimed my arm as a tension reliever," he said while flashing her a small smile. "If it helps don't be afraid to clamp down it again. I can always heal myself when I'm through with you." His statement was rewarded with a slight color in her cheeks that had nothing to do with her returning blood. "Relax," he added. "This will only last a few moments and afterwards your leg should be back to normal. As the last word was leaving his mouth he brought both hands down on her leg pooling power into them. And a deep blue surrounded and penetrated the wound. As the first waves of magic contacted her skin she let out an agonized scream deep in her throat, but refused to allow it to escape her lips which she kept tightly clamped together. He also immediately felt a jarring pain where she had control of his arm as her nails dug deep into his skin. He had been anticipating as much though and so he managed to maintain his concentration and finish the job. When he released his hold on his core and allowed the magic to recede her screams died immediately and she released his wrist. He examined his work and found that the bone had been healed successfully. There wasn't even a scar left on her thigh to mark where it had been marred a moment ago. Happy with the results he returned to her side and noted that she was still breathing heavily and a small sheen of sweat had coated her face. Her hair which fallen neatly around her face when he had first encountered her now clung to her face stuck there by sweat and a little blood which he doubted very much belonged to her. A grim reminder of what she had done for him.

Even as he watched she began to relax and to draw slow even breaths. As he was able to truly focus on her for the first time he noted that she was stunning. It was apparent to anyone who looked that she took care of her body. Her skirt and torn shirt revealed a pair of long trim legs and a taught flat stomach, but it was her face that he found the most interesting. It was composed of sharp features that gave her a look of intelligent beauty and her deep blue eyes, which were once again focused on him, felt as though they could see right through him to the core of his very being. And then as he took in the beautiful young woman in front of him a wave of recognition rushed through him. The eyes that betrayed intelligence and strong will, the sharp feminine jaw, the dark hair that hung limply around her face except when she tucked it behind her ears it was all familiar. True she had grown up and was no longer the girl he remembered from his lessons with slytherin, but when he looked closely her features were still recognizable as belonging to the same person. "Daphne Greengrass," Harry said speaking mostly to himself. He could hardly believe that any slytherin that had grown up under Snape's rule, much less their beloved ice queen would have sided with him for any reason.

Upon hearing her name she cocked her head slightly to the side in a questioning manner. "Harry Potter," she returned sure of her assessment. "What's going on? You look amazing for someone who's been dead for four years."

"And you look quite beautiful for someone who almost bled to death, but the questions will have to wait a little while yet. The aurorers will be on their way and I need to be gone before they arrive," he said recalling his ever shortening time frame.

"How do you plan to leave?" she asked truly curious. "I couldn't have been out for that long, but they are probably already on their way. The main gate is the only way out of the grounds through the wards and that's where they established their rally point."

"You mean how do we plan to leave," he cut in before she could continue questioning him. "I'm afraid that by helping me you have worn out your welcome in Britain. I can get you to somewhere safe, but you're going to have to trust me. I really don't have time to explain."

As he spoke a smile appeared on her face. "Somehow after tonight I don't think that's going to be a problem," she commented dryly.

If he had been expecting her to argue or rail at him about having to abandon her normal life he would have found himself extremely surprised when she seemed to accept his statement without question. More unanswered questions joined the growing list, but they would have to wait.

He found himself smiling as well in what seemed was becoming a disturbing new trend around her. "Good because you're not going to be able to walk on that leg for a couple of hours," he said as he stood up and leaned towards her picking her up with one hand under her knees and the other behind her back. "The bone is healed but it needs time for the magic to dissipate completely before it will be strong enough to walk on."

If she was uncomfortable with the proximity she didn't show it. Instead she seemed to accept his explanation and wrapped her arms around his neck to help support her wait. As he began walking to his original destination he continued speaking. "Your side is also going to need to be looked at again soon. Eventually I should be able to heal it but for now you'll have to make due. That particular type of injury needs a certain amount of time before the skin will begin to heal correctly and not even magic can speed the process. If we make it out of here I'll be able to do something to help stem the bleeding until then."

Once again she would have to take him at his word. Healing magic had never particularly interested her and she wasn't very skilled with the few spells she did know, but she was already making plans to change that. She had been lucky. Five minutes ago she had almost been dead, but thanks to Potter's knowledge of the healing arts she was feeling almost normal. Granted she knew it would hurt like hell when the numbing charm wore off.

As he moved through the door into the tiny room off the great hall a look of confusion crossed Daphne's face. "Why are we in here? There isn't a way out through here it's just a conference room." As she spoke she saw a look of amusement take hold on Harry's face. "We are in here my dear because not even Dumbledore knows Hogwarts as well as I do and Voldemort is not the only one with family ties." By the time he had finished they had crossed the small space and come to rest in front of the roaring fire. "Hold on tight," he warned as he removed his arm from behind her back. He carefully examined the crest that was carved into the center of the mantle and with a suddenness that surprised his companion he used a small spike carved into the design to slice open his palm and then wiped the resulting blood over the coat of arms. When his DNA touched the stone it was absorbed into the rock and the heat from the fire seemed to double in its intensity. "And onward we fare my lady," he joked as he stepped into the flames.


	8. Chapter 8

Daphne instinctively curled her body into his and clenched her eyes shut tightly when she realized what was about to happen. Once again she found herself confused. Instead of intense heat and pain like she expected, she felt nothing. Opening her eyes she found that they had stepped through the back of the fireplace and were now standing at the base of a staircase that led up several floors. The sensation of passing through the magical ward that protected the entrance to this place was the last straw for her body. Already weakened from magical exhaustion and the trauma she had sustained she felt herself passing into unconsciousness.

For his part Harry felt her sag in his arms and was nominally relieved. He needed to complete this last task and escape the castle quickly and it would be much easier without her awake and asking questions. He quickened his pace and ascended the stairs two at a time. After climbing several floors he found himself in a circular room surrounded by four ancient suits of armor. Luckily he was aware of what was required of him and he began speaking a strong voice. "Hogwarts the line of Gryffindor returns to fulfill the oath of our ancestor and to bolster your strength which has waned in our absence." As he finished speaking the four animated simultaneously and each took a step forward before bowing low and presenting the hilts of their swords in supplication. No sooner had this happened then a blue sphere appeared in their center.

Understanding that this was indeed the focus to the school's wards, Harry laid Daphne down on the flagstone floor and strode forward to grasp it with both hands. Immediately his mind was assailed with a complex array of images. Runes patterns and equations tore through his mind so fast that it was all he could do to maintain consciousness. The wards were beyond ancient and their strength was unquestionable. Unfortunately this meant that their layout and creation were exceedingly complicated and their visual representation that was tearing apart his mind at the moment was doubly so. Still he had a job to do. He needed to find the weakness that Voldemort had exploited and remove it. The pain was intense. He felt himself slipping. His body had already been severely taxed this night and he simply didn't have the strength left to maintain the control it took to directly manipulate the defenses like this. Just when he felt his control slipping he saw it. To his eyes it appeared as a complicated rune cluster, but upon closer examination it felt wrong. As he stared he began to see a faintly black aura emanating from the pattern and he knew he had found his target.

Summoning his magic once again he forced it through his hands directly into the sphere and used it to abolish the offending glyphs and he replaced them with a set of his own that he felt would make some significant improvements in the school protection. That completed he released his hold on his core and the sphere and sank to his knees exhausted and weary. The Knights stood as one and gave him a sharp salute before returning to their original positions and becoming motionless.

"Finally, we can get the fuck out of here," he mumbled to himself as he bent to pick up his charge once again. Once he had secured his unconscious companion he quickly moved to stand in front of the Knight bearing the Gryffindor coat of arms. "In the name of the blood reveal to me the path you guard," he commanded. Though in his tired state it came out as little more than a whisper it appeared as though he had been heard because the suit of armor graced him with a brief salute before taking a step to his left and kneeling. Meanwhile another staircase became visible originating from the knights original post and spiraling down into the bowels of the castle. 'So far so good,' he thought to himself as he rushed to make the descent. If everything continued to go as planned he would soon find himself entering a tunnel that burrowed beneath the lake and ended in a cavern outside the schools ward line.

Daphne awoke on a cold floor to the sight of Potter once again kneeling over her. "What the hell?" she managed to slur in her disoriented state.

"You passed out from exhaustion so I let you rest while I attended to some things," Harry enlightened her. "Now however we are outside the wards and I needed you awake before we can continue."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" she asked her head already clearing and allowing her to think properly.

"Well, probably because you won't like this next bit" he started as a mischievous smile graced his features. "Even if I find myself looking forward to it immensely," he finished with a full blown grin. "Strip." He said, making an exaggerated show of eyeing her up.

"What?!"

"Take … off … your … clothes," he said slowly and deliberately like he was talking to a small child.

"No I got that smartass, but why?" she snapped. Obviously she was beginning to get annoyed.

"Blame Dumbledore. The sneaky son of a bitch has wards placed throughout the school that tag people with tracking charms as they pass through." Harry explained dropping his smirk and becoming serious. After all they hadn't gotten away yet. They couldn't afford to stay in one spot much longer no matter how well hidden it was. It was just too close to the school. "Really you only need to drop your outer layer of clothing as those should be the only things that have been tampered with," he continued.

"But what the hell am I supposed to wear?!"

In response he just reached up, unbuttoned his shirt, and flung it at her before turning around to give her some privacy. "This day just keeps getting better and better," she murmured to herself as she shimmied out of her skirt kicking it to the side. After another moment she was able to free herself from her school blouse and had replaced it with his shirt. Thankfully it hung low enough to cover her undergarments but only just. Once she had finished she turned to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to an undeniably enjoyable sight. Far from being embarrassed by the situation like he would expect from most seventeen year old girls Daphne had struck a little pose for him and was standing there modeling his shirt for him with a slight grin on her face.

"Like what you see?" she asked trying not smile as he took a moment to let his eyes move over her unabashed.

"Now why doesn't that shirt look as good on me?" he returned.

"Well personally I think it looks quite good off you." And with that statement he realized that she was indeed checking him out as well. He laughed. He couldn't help it. It had been so long since he had felt like a normal teenager that he found this situation highly amusing. Daphne herself found her self-satisfied smirk becoming a full fledged smile. When he laughed his entire countenance seemed to change. Whereas before he looked dark, powerful, and world weary beyond his years he now gave off an air of mischievousness and humor that was contagious. After a few moments though she watched as he reverted back to the seriousness he had shown before. And this time as she looked closely she could tell he appeared exhausted. He still appeared tense and ready for a fight, but there was a slight dip to his shoulders and bags under his eyes that showed his fatigue.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

She sighed. Sensing the change in mood she also let her smile disappear and became focused once again. "Well I'm a little lightheaded and pretty weak. I'm not sure I could even light my wand at this point much less use and actual magic."

"I expected as much. You did lose a lot of blood and you are suffering from a slight case of magical exhaustion. How is the pain in your side?"

"Its still numb." She answered.

"Well hopefully it will stay that way a little longer. I know a place we can stay for the night but getting there without leaving a trail is going to involve a lot of apparating. When we get there I'll do what I can to finish healing it for you."

Without waiting for a reply he moved forward placing his arms around her and pulling her to his bare chest. Her arms, seemingly moving of their own accord wrapped around him in a tight embrace. At any other time it may have seemed awkward to be standing in the middle of an empty underground cavern in such an intimate position with a girl clothed in nothing but his button down shirt, but to be honest weird shit happened to him all the time and he was too tired to give it much thought.

"Hold on tight," he whispered for the second time that night and then with a barely audible pop they were gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Daphne barely had time to register that they had finally stopped moving when she found herself supporting a sagging Harry Potter. They had just completed a rapid succession of apparations that numbered somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 different locations. She couldn't help but be impressed yet again by his stamina. In the best of circumstances that was an unthinkable feat of magic, but to have completed it after what she had witnessed him accomplish that night was nothing short of astounding. To put it mildly she was surprised he was still conscious. Still he seemed determined to continue a little farther. A quick glamour charm later and they both appeared to be fully clothed, though the draft around her legs proved that it was little more than an illusion. Once that little piece of business was taken care of he forced himself into a standing position and dragged her out of the alley and up the narrow street to a non descript looking building that advertised lodging. Though he didn't say much he seemed to know where he was going so she followed without protest. A short while later she found herself standing by as he had a quick conversation with an attendant in a language she couldn't understand. While she waited she observed her surroundings. The place itself appeared shabby at first glance. Upon closer inspection however she realized that it must have once been a grand place, but it was clear that over the years lack of attention had let it fall into disrepair. Still he was able to procure a room key and wasted no time in leading her up the rickety staircase in the corner and down a dingy hallway where he came to stop in front of a heavy wooden door with chipped golden paint that marked it as room number 17.

Daphne awoke the next morning with an ache in her side to an empty room. Harry had stolen his shirt back shortly after arriving and then put fresh bandages on her cursed gash. Moments after he renewed the numbing charm she had fallen asleep in the single four post bed in the room. The last thing she remembered was the sight of him slumped in an armchair in the corner, where he could see both the window and the door, with his wand drawn. She couldn't deny that it had given her a feeling of security knowing he was there, but now she found herself alone, with no clothes, and to top it all off she had no idea where in the world she was. Before she could continue along that line of thought she heard the door latch. She immediately grabbed her wand from the table only to find herself facing a smiling Harry Potter.

"Well good afternoon to you too," he commented wryly while cocking an eye brow. "Planning on lowering your wand anytime soon?"

"That depends on whether or not one of those bags you are carrying contains clothes for me to wear."

The fact that her wand moved from being pointed at his heart to his crotch wasn't lost on him as he hurried to answer the woman.

"Naturally," he commented lightly as he tossed her one of the bags. "After all not all of us could sleep away half the day. I figured I would make myself useful and rectify our clothing situations as well as pick some things to help heal that scratch on your side."

Harry allowed her a moment to rummage through his purchases while he pulled one of the armchairs from in front of the fire and dragged it so it was next to the bed. When he looked up from his new vantage point he saw her glaring at him askance, but he could tell by the twitch of the corners of her mouth that she was only being mock serious.

"You would buy me the shortest skirt you could find."

He simply laughed. "Of course, I don't know any of your sizes so the sales lady said a skirt was the safest bet."

"And the length?" she enquired.

"Well honestly that was my idea. I just felt it would be a crime to hide any more of those gorgeous legs than absolutely necessary." With that he winked at her.

Before she could give him a well deserved dressing down he interrupted her by pulling the bag out of her hands and tossing it into the corner.

"We can argue about my sense of fashion later. For now let me finish working on your side so it can begin to heal properly," he said while he set the other bag next to his chair. "Come on lay down on the bed," he continued, patting the side right in front of him.

She complied. He did deserve a good berating, but truth be told she found she didn't really mind him looking at her body that way. He had made several comments about physical attributes since their meeting the night before and although he had blatantly flirted with her in the intervening time she could tell he wasn't saying things just to flatter her. Everything he said was done so with an air of humor and honesty that she could hardly be angry with. Besides the pain in her side had been worsening since she woke up and she was anxious to be done with it.

While she was reflecting he began pulling things out of the remaining bags. By the time she brought herself back to the present he was holding a mortar and pestle and was surrounded by several small paper boxes and phials of ingredients.

"Now there are a couple things we need to discuss." Harry stated as he began adding ingredients to the mortar and grinding them into a paste. "We didn't have time to discuss this last night, but we need to decide on what the best course of action is right now."

Daphne didn't speak. She just continued looking at him attentively and quirked any eyebrow inquisitively when he paused so he took it as a sign to continue talking.

"I told you I would get you someplace safe and I will, but I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that. At the moment both Dumbledore and Voldemort are injured and will need time to recover, but that won't last for long. I think at this point it would be safe to assume that both will know of your involvement and will be looking for you. Unfortunately for them, for the moment at least you are beyond their grasp."

Here his hands stilled and he hesitated in his explanation to continue working on her wound. She was lying in front of him covered by one of the bed sheets. Slowly he pushed the edge of the material away until her abdomen and lower chest was exposed revealing the offending injury to him.

As he packed the paste into the gash which was bleeding again he continued talking. This was going to be painful for her. Using magic to dull the pain again wasn't possible with this treatment because it would render the paste inert and useless so he hoped what he was saying would distract her enough to ignore most of the discomfort.

"That, however, doesn't impede their ability to attack you. If they can't find you they will go after your family. One will attack with subtlety the other aggressively, but either way they are now in danger. We need to meet with your parents and explain the situation so we can discuss the best options for all of you."

Daphne's side was on fire. The salve he had pushed into her wound hurt more than she remembered the original wound feeling. Still that didn't detract in the least from her reaction to what she was saying. The longer he spoke the more somber her mood became and the more her eyes seemed to unfocus.

For his part Harry finally noticed her reaction and stopped speaking only to continue now with a worried interrogation.

"Daphne, Daphne what's wrong? Is your side alright?"

The sound of her name seemed to bring her around and she thought how best to answer. She wasn't a fan of revealing to much personal information, probably a side effect of her slytherin status for the last 7 years, but she had little choice in the matter at present so she finally looked at him.

"No. I mean yes my side hurts, but that's not it."

He noticed the look in her eyes and had a feeling he was all too familiar with the direction this conversation was going. He recognized the look of despair and helplessness with a border of absolute rage. It was a look he had seen many times in his life and truth be told had worn far too many times himself.

While he was examining her she had begun to speak again and he hastened to pay attention.

"My family is dead. He attacked Diagon Alley soon after the tri-wizard tournament. They were among the first casualties after Voldemort's return. They weren't important enough for him to kill personally, but that doesn't make them any less dead."

He could tell the pain in her voice wasn't from her injury. Well not completely anyway. Still there wasn't much you could say to something like that.

"I'm sorry." It was said so softly she almost wasn't sure she had heard it.

"Too many innocent people have died already, and many more will join them before this is over. All we can do is remember the ones we lose and honor them by living while we can." He finished.

And as empty as those couple of half-assed placating words would seem coming from anyone else, she found that when he said them she felt a little better. She had had almost 4 years to come to terms with the loss of her family so she could understand what he was trying to say. He wasn't promising things would get better, in fact he was plainly saying they wouldn't be for awhile. But he was telling her that life went on. The thing that made it appealing was his absolute conviction. She could tell by his response that he had lost others as well, and she didn't think it was his parents whose absence he was remembering with obvious clarity if his far away expression was anything to go with.

Once again she found herself curious about him. Where had he been in the time since his disappearance? Why was everyone so plainly arrayed against him? What was he going to do now? As she studied him once again, she found herself doing that a lot, she realized he seemed to be having some form of internal debate with himself. Her line of thinking ,however, was brought up short when she noticed his brilliant emerald eyes focused on her once again. It appeared as though he had come to some sort of decision.

"As terrible as it seems this simplifies things immensely. I originally wanted to find somewhere safe for you to hide, but alone and isolated you wouldn't survive long if they ever managed to find you and even if they didn't I doubt your sanity would allow you to remain away until this world has sorted itself out." He told her.

She sat up a little and immediately regretted it as a sharp pain coursed through her once again. It seemed to be getting worse. Still she would worry about that in a moment. For now he had her complete attention.

"You have proven that you are powerful, resourceful, and if your response to the situation so far is anything to go by adaptable. So if you would like, you can come with me. At least for awhile," he finished quietly.

She had apparently heard his change in tone because he soon found himself be covered by her penetrating grey eyes.

"And what would that mean? Going with you I mean." She asked.

"Well I'm not going to lie to you, it will involve learning, fighting, killing, evading, escaping, and if we're very very lucky, surviving." He tried to end the statement with a laugh, but failed spectacularly. He didn't seem to notice the failed attempt he was far more focused on her reaction.

"Well," she drawled, "You certainly know how to show a girl a good time don't you. Why do I get the feeling you are asking me for much more than I am aware of?"

She saw his posture relax and she realized he was relieved that she seemed to pick up on this.

"Don't worry I won't let you make the decision uninformed. Let me tell you a little story and then we will discuss your choice." He told her.

Before he said anything else he helped her into a sitting position and propped a couple pillows behind her back.

"Now, tell me," he began. "What do you know of recent wizarding history?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Now, tell me," he began. "What do you know of recent wizarding history?"

"If you decide to remain with me it will not be a question of if fighting will be required again, but when. As such you deserve to know who you are fighting and why. I will not allow you to stumble forward blind like I have been forced to so many times. "

Daphne looked at him blankly now thoroughly confused.

"What does that have to do with our situation?" she asked.

He sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he had feared. For her to understand he would have to divulge large portions of his past that no one but him knew about. More than that, he was going to have to swing her away from common accepted belief in wizarding society. Although now that he thought about it, after last night, that may actually prove to be the easier of the two tasks.

"Hold on," he answered. "Let me try this again."

"How many sides are there in this war?" he queried.

"Two," she answered immediately and then just as fast chastised herself. He was attempting to show her something and obviously wouldn't be wasting her time with pointless questions. There was obviously more behind the question than what her first impression would dictate.

Her thoughts were confirmed when she saw him smile.

"Ah that would be the answer as the people of our world chose to see it. Regrettably it is incorrect."

Seeing that he had immediately engaged her attention he continued.

"General belief fostered by ignorance and propaganda tells us that this is a war of the light vs the dark or good vs evil. The image most people have is of a unified front of light magicians lead by the ministry and Dumbledore opposing and insane and tyrannical dark lord and his death eaters," he elaborated.

He could tell that her mind was working furiously behind her beautiful eyes. Still he could tell she was nowhere near the conclusion he was leading her towards so he once again picked up the thread of his lesson.

"This point of view is, of course, complete and utter bull shit. The fact of the matter is that the ministry and Dumbledore are on two separate sides that are at the moment loosely aligned, while the dark lord and his army of death eaters and _dark," _here he paused to roll his eyes at the word dark before continuing, "creatures oppose them. And then there is still yet one more side."

"Who else is left?" she asked truly curious.

"Me." Was his simple reply.

"Putting aside the fact that you are completely insane for thinking that you warrant your own side, I still don't quite understand your explanation," Daphne replied still obviously mulling over his words.

"I mean," she began, "What do you mean when you say Dumbledore and the ministry are aligned but not on the same side?"

"Well if you think about it logically you will realize that they work together out of mutual need, but their end goals will eventually make them enemies."

"Go on," she urged him.

"Well neither can oppose Voldemort on their own. His resources have simply grown too large. Right now the ministry is relying on Dumbledore to defeat Voldemort as he is the only one close to him in power. Dumbledore, on the other hand, believes he knows for certain that neither he nor anyone in the ministry can kill Voldemort. This means that he is preparing to fight a long drawn out war hoping to keep a stalemate until a solution can be found. For that he needs the resources the ministry can provide. Naturally he will never clue them into the fact that he can't do what they expect him to be capable of."

"Does that make sense so far?" he asked.

"Yes, there are just a few things that need a little more clarification," she replied. "I get your explanation for why the ministry needs the headmaster, but why is Dumbledore so certain that he is incapable of stopping Voldemort. The battle last night wasn't exactly one sided."

Harry had expected her to pick up on that and was secretly pleased. He knew she was intelligent and her analytical mind caught on faster than he had thought she would.

"Well to be blunt, there was a prophecy. Basically it states that only one person has the power to destroy Voldemort and vice versa. The dark lord and Dumbledore both believe it implicitly and Albus was not the one named."

"It was you," Daphne said almost immediately.

'Like I said extremely intelligent,' he thought to himself. 'That was fast.'

"It's the only thing that makes sense," she went on. "It explains why he attacked you as a child, why he attacked you at the tri-wizard tournament, and why he seemed more intent on you than Dumbledore yesterday."

He made no motion to correct her and none was needed her instinct told her she was correct. That, however; brought up several other questions.

Harry once again saw her pensive state and knew what was coming. She was connecting the dots at an incredible pace and soon her conclusions would lead her to more questions, the important questions, the right questions.

"But if that is true, then why would you have left? I understand the ministry is stagnant and corrupt, even if most of the world is ignorant of it, but wouldn't Dumbledore be the strongest ally? Wouldn't Hogwarts be the safest place to train and gain knowledge, especially given you apparent affinity with the castle?"

'And there they are.' He mentally sighed. Now the explanations would be personal and he would have to explain things he himself didn't like to consider. The question for him was now the best way to proceed with his narrative.

"I understand your train of thought, but once again you are at the disadvantage of working with limited information and under several false assumptions," Harry told her. "The answer to your questions however will help to fill in the gaps and correct the mistakes."

Here she smiled a bit. She almost felt like she was back in Hogwarts except this particular lesson was immensely interesting and she had a feeling it would be extremely beneficial to her in the near future. The fact that he told her just enough to gather the key facts and then allowed her a bit of time to put the picture together herself appealed greatly to her nature and she found herself enjoying the conversation more than she would have thought possible for such a grim topic.

Seeing her smiling demeanor he couldn't help but relax a little. The next part of the tale was more complicated but he thought he might have a way to simplify things. Earlier in the day he had stopped at the post and sent a message to Gringots Italy to transfer certain items to the local branch. They should have arrived by now and that would help him greatly.

"I think it would be beneficial at this point to take a break and let you absorb what we've talked about so far," he told her.

"Oh no you don't Potter," she said pointing a finger at him. "You aren't getting out of this that easily."

"Don't worry Greengrass I just think it would be easier to show you the next bit rather than trying to explain it," he explained. " I sent a missive to Gringotts to have my safety deposit box transferred here. It should be here by now and one of the items in it is a pensive. So if you can be patient for an hour or so I can pop down the street and pick it up." All of this was said with a smile as though he was talking to a little girl.

This didn't seem to bother her though as she was slightly mollified that she would actually be able to witness the history he spoke of instead of hearing it second hand.

Before she knew it he was standing up again. "While I'm gone you should rest. I know that cut has to be killing you. The paste will make it her like hell until the dark magic is sucked out. It would probably be best to take a nap if you could. I would like to get through the rest in one sitting," he told her. "Don't worry I'll bring back some food with me," he added with a smile when he heard her stomach murmuring.

"You'll bring back delicious food," she corrected him.

"Yes ma'am I will bring back delicious food," he agreed with a wink before turning and exiting the room.

When he was gone Daphne reflected on what she had been told so far. None of it had been earth shattering, though she had a feeling that it was merely setting the stage for a much more intricately woven series of event. She was anxious to learn more about what was going on. Being seemingly ignorant of the situation left her feeling uneasy.

With that though she resolved to do as Harry had suggested and after tucking her wand under her pillow she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to claim her.


End file.
